“Gus,” I whimper.
“I’m listening.” His cracked voice rumbles by the shell of my ear. “What do you need?”
You.You. You.
“This is a bad idea,” I say.
His huff of laughter, as his lips graze my neck tell me he only partly agrees. “Then tell me to stop, Sara. Tell me to stop and I’ll go.” I part my lips but the word never comes. I’m almost certain I’m going to tell him to stop but his fingers brush under my chin, tipping it towards him and it feels so good, as he brings our lips closer, I lose all sensible thoughts.
His wine-soaked breath and perfect, thick lips are irresistible.
“Fuck it,” I breathe.
I feel his answering groan like sparklers fizzling in my tummy.
“Fuck it, indeed,” he says, as his lips crash over mine, rough and hungry.
His arms come around my waist, pulling me closer, his lips pressing harder, faster. My hands run higher until they’re wrapped around his neck, fingers in his gorgeous curls, tugging him away, pressing him closer, all the timehis breathing speaks to me in shattered gasps. And when I open my lips to him and he slides his tongue over mine, I’m rewarded with a solid thigh pressed between my legs. A welcome, delicious friction.
Fuck.
An untethered sound escapes me. I want him to push me harder. Hold me tighter. Kiss me fiercer.
I’m so wanton, so needy, I’m surprised by my reaction.
I want him. I can’t have him. I need him.
As one of his hands releases my waist and ventures between us, a finger running lower over the sheer black material of my dress, my breathing ragged and desperate, the gates to Cole’s villa creak open.
“Hey, you two keep setting off the security senso –Oh!”
The interruption is like a bucket of ice water down my back. I twist out of Gus’s grasp and laugh at the wall, turning away from him. I hold a hand to my face. I’m so hot. There’s no way Cole won’t be able to tell.
I wiggle out of the curve of Gus’s body but he takes my arm, attempting to twist me back to him. “Sara.”
“Such a lovely evening,” I say to them both.I can’t believe we were caught!“Thank you! But I’m beat.”
“Sara…” his voice is urgent as we pass Cole, my arm still in his gentle grip. “Come on, wait up.”
I turn and laugh nervously, twisting my arm free once we reach the staircase in the hall. “It’s fine, Gus.”
He’s watching me cautiously from the step below. “I don’t think we’re finished here,” he says. “I think we need…”
I press my hand to his cheek. “We got carried away,” I say, like it’s obvious. “It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me. We’re fine. It’s fine.”
He’s shaking his head, a small smile playing on his lips like he isn’t sure how to read me now but he lets it drop.
“Night then,” I say, my voice too pitchy, spinning on my heels and darting away before he can persuade me to do something insanely irresponsible, like going to his room to finish this whole thing off in detail. Because although I’m outrageously tempted, I know no good can come of it.
I’m already too affected by him.
Twenty-FourCruise Location – RomeNext Port – PortofinoTime of Departure – 18:00 (GMT+1)
My attempt at sleep is fruitless.
I lay there, my heartbeat drumming in my chest until I hear Gus’s steady footsteps tread down the hall followed by the quiet creak of his door behind him.
What is happening to me? Why am I being so reckless?
